Thursday, May 31, 2007

Apple travels to the beat of a different DRM...If I'm running Apple my first call would be to EMI Publishing to get the rights to "Different Drum". EMI would be happy and so would Michael Nesmith who wrote the tune. My next call would be to Linda Ronstadt to record another version of the 60's hit getting the name Apple in the lyrics. Apple took a giant step and big risk yesterday by selling some of their iTunes without attaching DRM (digital rights management), the system that prevents file sharing. Ironically they began by selling DRM-free music from EMI...Although the majority of Apple's 5 million songs still feature DRM, consumers can now play DRM-free music from Apple's iTunes on digital players other than the iPod. This is a major step toward compatibility for file sharing. So far EMI is the only one of the four top record labels to release unprotected music, the other 3 account for 70% of the world's music. Apple expects half of its music to eventually be available on its site without DRM and most of that will come from independent labels but can the other majors be far behind? Greg Scholl, president and CEO of The Orchard, a New York-based music distribution and marketing company says: "The only way we're going to discover the right way to grow the market is by experimenting. At least Apple is trying something new." It should be noted that record labels place copy protection on digital songs but not on CDs, including new ones. If you have an unprotected CD you can rip songs to MP3s and no one seems to know why this inconsistency exists. Oh, if you're wondering what Microsoft's take is on DRM-free music, CEO Steve Jobs called for an end to DRM back in February...Remember when you first started ordering Chinese food "with no MSG"? Well if you download music you can now get it "with no DRM"...10 Timeline Memories:

1889] Damn it: The Johnstown (PA) flood kills more than 2,000 after a damn breaks sending tons of water rushing through the city...

1907] Taxxxxxiiiiii: The 1st taxis in the U.S. arrive in New York City followed by an increase in traffic accidents...

1961] Hardy har har har: Red Sox backup Carroll Hardy becomes the only player to pinch-hit for both Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski. Batting for Yaz in the 8th inning he drops a bunt down for a hit during a 7-6 loss. When he hit for Williams in 1960, he lined into a double play. He also pinch-hit for Roger Maris, then with Cleveland and hit his 1st major league home run on his 25th birthday. Wow!!! Unfortunately those were the highlights of a lackluster career...

1967] 3-peat: A.J. Foyt becomes the 4th racer in the history of the Indy 500 to win the race 3 times...

1975] He would take a bow if he could: Evel Knievel crashes while trying the jump over 13-double decker London buses, breaking his pelvis. He then tells the crowd he's retiring...

1979] The Rockettes get their kicks: The newly renovated Radio City MusicHall reopens...

1990] The show about nothing: "The Seinfeld Chronicles" debuts as a summer replacement. They drop the 'Chronicles' in the 1992-93 season when the show becomes simply "Seinfeld". The show lasts for 8 seasons...

1991] 'Slick': Pat Riley, winner of 4 NBA titles while coaching the Lakers, becomes the Knicks new coach. The closest he gets to a championship in New York is in 1994 when the Knicks finish one game shy of the league title but the Knicks will reach the playoffs twice more during his 4 years. And he did wear great Armani suits...

2000] "Happy Trails": Latin jazz great Tito Puente dies on the operating table as a result of complications following 12 hours of open-heart surgery. Puente was 77...

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The Good...The Bad...The Ugly of the Month (May)...The GoodCandidates: The Barnstable Brown Foundation (raising money for diabetes research), Utah Jazz guard Derek Fisher (for missing a playoff game to be with his daughter for an operation), Jason Simmons and Ahman Green for their uniform swapping to help a single parent in need and a couple of new candidates. The lawyer who helped expose Pete Rose's betting habits, JohnDowd is calling for George Mitchell to suspend players who don't cooperate with the steroids probe and Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti for, well, winning the 500 after 11 seasons of futility. And the 'Good' Award Winner of The Month is: Derek Fisher for doing what he should do. The most important part of life is taking care of your family and friends...The BadCandidates: Ron LeFlore, ex-major leaguer for failing to support one of his children, Mets minor leaguer Lastings Milledge for his degrading rap record, Mexican Soccer Foundation coach Cruz Azul for allowing a player (SalvadorCarmona) to play despite being banned for life for doping and a couple of newcomers. Lakers owner Jerry Buss was arrested for a DUI yesterday. Not becoming for a 74-year old and former NBA player Lloyd "Sweet Pea" Daniels who was charged with burglary of his girlfriend's apartment over the weekend. And the 'Bad' Award Winner of The Month is: Ron LeFlore. See previous explanation for why he was chosen...The UglyCandidates: Baseball Hall of FamerOrlando Cepeda for his drug bust after his car was pulled over. Not befitting a 69-year old Hall of Famer for God's sake, Milwaukee Bucks forward Ruben Patterson for failing to register as a convicted sex offender, Jason Giambi, is it necessary to mention why? Bud Selig is expected to announce this week, what if any, fine or suspension will be meted out to Giambi. There are also 3 new candidates: 1996 Tour de France champion Bjarne (not sure but I think it's bee-arnie and wouldn't he love to be anyone but himself?) Riis who was asked to turn in his yellow jersey after he confessed to doping and having too many consonants in his name, Henry Charles James, a 41-year old former NBA player sentenced to 5 years after pleading guilty to selling crack cocaine to an undercover cop and assistant Coyotes coach RickTocchet for taking a bullet for Janet Jones in that sports gambling ring. And the 'Ugly' Award Winner of The Month" is: Henry Charles James. Nothing is worse than selling drugs or, of course killing someone or not taking care of your family and friends...TGTBTU UpdateTo no one's surprise, the NFL Players Association is supporting Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones' appeal for leniency to the one-year suspension handed down by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell...After ESPN ran a story about an eyewitness who actually saw a dog supposedly owned by Michael Vick in a dogfight, now comes this followup: Richmond (VA) authorities have a search warrant to look for as many as 30 dog carcasses on property owned by Vick...The investigation into the death of former Villanova basketball star Howard Porter continues in Ramsey County (MN)...The death of Patriots defensive lineman Marquise Hill has been determined to be an accident...And finally, I failed to mention that Yankee owner George Steinbrenner contributed $1 million to the families of Virginia Tech students cutdown in that horrific act by a madman. I must also add that Mr. Steinbrenner is quite generous in supporting various charities and is as generous as his team is on the playing field... 10 Timeline Memories:

1431] The Arc de defeat: Joan of Arc, condemned as a heretic is burned at the stake in Rouen, France. Joan was 19. Sacre blu...

1539] Where's the bridge?: Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto landed in Florida. It's not important that he thought it was Staten Island...

1879] The world's most famous arena: Madison Square Garden opens to the public at Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street. Harper's Weekly describes it as "Grimy, drafty and combustible". Wait till they see the Knicks play...

1889] A new support systemgives rise: The brassiere is invented. Rumor has it that the bra was invented by Pierre "Push-em-up" Bordeaux but it doesn't hold up...

1970] The people's choice: Baseball All-Star voting returns to the fans so that we can see their favorite players who happen to be hitting .200...

1982] Boogety boogety: 21-year old Baltimore 3rd basemanCal Ripken Jr. begins his consecutive game streak. He will move to shortstop eventually but the streak will last more than 13 years and 3 months and he will break Lou Gehrig's record...

1996] "D-I-V-O-R-C-E": Britain's Prince Andrew and the former Sarah Ferguson end their 10-year marriage...

2002] Grounded: A solemn, wordless ceremony marks the end of the cleanup at Ground Zero, 8 1/2 months after the 911 WTC attacks...

2005] Disappearing act: American teen Natalee Holloway is last seen leaving a bar with 3 young men while vacationing in Aruba before disappearing. Her body remains to be found...

Recorded on this date: 1968] The Beatles begin recording their White Album...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...

Commentary...

Here are some comments on yesterday's feature, "Brought to you by...": "We must never forget that some members of the audience look upon commercials favorably as an informational resource for goods and services. I believe it's not the commercials, it's the amount. Greed has taken over and even John Hogan's effort has fallen short. As Dwight Case would advise, lower the number and raise the price..duh! -Harvey Mednick... "Really good point about commercials being part of the programming. I was thinking that yesterday, listening to a medical spot with at least 30 seconds of fast talk disclaimer. Absolutely no credibility to something like that. AND it destroys any communication betweenthe station and a listener" - Dick Summer..."I totally agree with you on the blog mention of radio (and tv) commercial clusters being much too long and total tuneouts. Another detriment to the down-side of the medium. Creativity may help some but when there are 5, 10 or more clustered, I don't think even cleverness will help, as with most of today's radios and tv's, it's just a clickaway. I've been a button (and remote) pusher for many years." - Paul Power...

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Brought to you by...There is a concerted effort now being made by TV sales executives to put some creativity into selling their commercial time. Recent figures show that nearly 50% of viewers in the highly coveted 18-49 year old demographic with DVRs are watching recorded programs instead of live ones. Of that figure, 60% skip through the ads. If that weren't enough of a factor to produce changes, this is: this week Nielsen Media Research will start measuring the audience for commercial breaks instead of just the programming around them...Ed Swindler, executive VP for NBC Universal ad sales says: "We all need tobecome more creative in how we incorporate sponsors into a program." Among other steps NBC has called on Jerry Seinfeld for help. One of the networks will present 2 experimental programs without traditional commercial breaks this fall. CW debuted "content wraps" last season where a hair care company presented beauty tips and interviews with network stars all pitching the company's product. And then there's the old tried and true product placement in the show itself. One segment of "American Idol" is an interview with one of the AI wanna-be's with a backdrop of a Coke ad...One of my favorite TV commercials is a 10-second spot with the Commerce Bank logo and a voice-over which simply says: "Time and temperature brought to youby Commerce Bank". They use some electronic chime-type signature and it catches me every time. Just yesterday on radio I heard the old Dinah Shore commercial ("See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet. America is asking you to call...") and I stopped in my tracks. I can't remember if it was a local Chevy dealer or a national commercial but I knew the product name and immediately flashed back to seeing Dinah Shore singing that on her television show...With TV viewing and radio listening down it's time to realize that commercials are part of your programming product too. It's time to treat it as such...10 Timeline Memories...

1999] What's up Dock?: The space shuttle Discovery completes its 1st docking with the International Space Station...

2004] Memorial Day: America dedicates a memorial to World War II veterans in Washington (D.C.)...

Music Memories:

Recorded on this date: 1942] "White Christmas" - Bing Crosby...

Released on this date: 1969] The self-titled LP by Crosby, Stills andNash...1987] "I Want Your Sex" (it's just a song title folks) - GeorgeMichael and the music video that accompanied the hit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZtKIL48jm8 ...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...

Commentary...

Our condolences go out to the family of Patriots defensive end, 24-year old Marquise Hill whose body was found in Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans last night after a tragic drowning accident. Hill and a friend were on Jet Ski's at the time. Patriot Nation is stunned by the news...Another tragic death in sports was the passing of former Villanova basketball star, Howard Porter, at 58 who had suffered a fatal beating on May 19th. Porter died on Saturday. And "Happy Trails" to the wackily entertaining Charles Nelson Reilly who passed away at 76 from complications of pneumonia...On a much lighter note, congratulations to JoeMcCoy who performed with The Eternals and Velours during the taping of those PBS Doo Wop Shows recently in Elizabeth (NJ). We're hoping we'll see Joe when those shows hit PBS in the coming months...

Friday, May 25, 2007

Like it or not, it's Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start of the Summer. Not only is the fleet in but with all the military hardware in New York, people are acting even cockier than usual. The weather has cooperated, turning the end of May into July and we may hit a high of 90 today. The beaches will be open with life guards on duty, there are parades throughout the city, nearly half a million people will be on hand for the annual air show at Jones Beach and the annual arts festival will be held in Washington Square. Now here's your History 101 lesson on the meaning of the day:

It started as "Decoration Day" at the time of the Civil War as a memorial to those who died in battle...

In 1866 the tiny village of Waterloo, New York started observing the day on May 5th and made it an annual event. A proclamation followed that observance, changing the date to May 30th...

"Memorial Day" was first used in 1882 but would not replace "Decoration Day" until 1967...

On June 28, 1968 Congress passed the 'Uniform Holidays' bill which moved 4 holidays, including Memorial Day to Monday (the others were 'President's Day', 'Columbus Day' and 'Veteran's Day'). They also locked in the observance of Memorial Day to the last Monday in May...

However you decide to celebrate the Holiday, make it a safe and happy occasion but do remember those who gave (and are still giving) their lives for us. Check my Memorial Day Commentary for some events that might interest you...

10 Timeline Memories...

1844] Patent Pending: Stuart Perry patents the gasoline engine (which would have permanently been modified to 'green' by Al Gore and MikeBloomberg)...

1925] Guilty as charged: John T. Scopes is indicted in Tennessee for teaching 'Darwin's theory of evolution'...

1927] Debuted on this date: "Movietone News" is shown for the 1st time at the Sam Harris Theatre in New York City...1951] Future Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays debuts with the New York Giants...1969] "Midnight Cowboy" premieres in New York City and here's the opening of the film with Harry Nilsson singing "Everybody's Talkin": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QorkFwpOo6E&mode=related&search= ...1977] "Star Wars Episode IV: ANew Hope" (the 1st 'Star Wars' movie) opens as the largest grossing film to-date...1992] Jay Leno debuts as the new host of NBC-TV's "TonightShow", succeeding Johnny Carson...

1935] The curtain comes down: Babe Ruth hits his 714th and final home run at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, as a member of the Boston Braves. The blast reportedly went more than 600 feet...1978] Keith Moon plays with The Who for the last time. In September he will OD at 32...1988] After a 6 year run, "St.Elsewhere" (one of my all-time favorite shows) bows out with their final episode. The series starred Denzel Washington, Mark Harmon, Alfre Woodard, Howie Mandel and Ronnie Cox. What a cast!...

1961] The Moon or bust: President John F. Kennedy asks America to work toward putting a man on the moon before the end of the decade...

1965] And still champ: Cassius Clay (not yet Ali) retains his heavyweight crown with a one-round TKO of Sonny Liston (many believe this fight may have been fixed)...

1979] Tragedy at O'Hare: An American Airlines DC-10 crashes on takeoff from O'Hare International in Chicago killing all 271 on board and 2 on the ground...

1986] Put your hand in the hand: An estimated 7 million people form a line for "Hands Across America" to raise money for the nation's hungry and homeless...

2005] Your American Idol: Carrie Underwood is named "American Idol". The 22-year old Oklahoma native beats out rocker Bo Bice. Wednesday night Jordin Sparks was chosen the new 2007 American Idol...

1973] Packing the park: Carole King plays and sings in Central Park for an audience of 100,000...

1975] #1 on this date: "Before The Next Teardrop Falls" - Freddy Fender...1983] "Flashdance...What a Feeling" - Irene Cara and here's the video of that song and "She's a Maniac" - Michael Sembello, from the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jcp7v0uoybc ...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...

Commentary...

WFNY has changed its format from Free-FM Talk back to K-Rock, WXRK 92.3 FM. A CBS Radio station changing format is not exactly big news, it seems to happen with regularity these days..."Oh, it's Memorial Day weekend? Let's change the format"...So what if their format overlaps that of WCBS-FM and WPLJ. How does this company stay in business??? One more late breaking item: Sirius Satellite Radio CEO Mel Karmazin trying to assure shareholder concerns at the company's annual meeting yesterday that the sky is not falling, said: "We suck less" (as compared to XM). Ya gotta love this guy. Sirius stock has fallen consistently since early 2006 when it opened the year trading at $6.70 and has fallen below $3 since May. It was up 4 cents yesterday, to $2.90, less than the price of a gallon of gas...XM Satellite Radio recalls the Top 40 heyday of WABC with a special tonight from 4-9 p.m. on Channel 6...

Timeline Countdown: 3 days until Memorial Day and 15 days until the Belmont Stakes...

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Saturday, May 26, 2007...

10 Timeline Memories...

1647] Tough love: A new law banning Catholic priests from the colony of Massachusetts with the penalty being banishment or death for a second offense (you New Englanders are tough)...1868] President Andrew Johnson is acquitted (by 1 vote) of all charges in his impeachment trial...

1896] How now Dow Jones?: The Dow is published for the 1st time with the average price of the 11 initial stocks at $40.94, a bloody fortune in 1896...

1959] Wake me up before you throw-throw: The word "Frisbee" becomes a registered trademark of Wham-O...

1959] No one's perfect: Harvey Haddix of the Pirates pitches 12 perfect innings but loses in the 13th on the 1st hit he gives up - a Joe Adcock home run...

1972] Can you pass the SALT?: SALT 1 is signed by the U.S. and USSR putting a freeze on the testing and deployment of land and sub based ICBMs and ballistic missiles for 5 years...

1977] Who needs Spiderman: George H. Willig is arrested after he scales the South Tower of the WTC in 3 1/2 hours (or about the time it takes to get crosstown)...

1978] You can bet on it: The 1st legal casino in the eastern U.S. opens in Atlantic City...

1993] Jose uses his head: Jose Canseco is 'heads-up' while trying to catch a flyball. The ball hits off his head into the stands. HOME RUN!!!

1994] And somewhere Elvis is kvelling: Michael Jackson and Lisa MariePresley secretly wed in the Dominican Republic. They divorce 20 months later. I wish they would've kept it a secret from us...

2004] Guilty as charged: Terry Nichols is found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing. He receives 161 consecutive life sentences. Not enough for that crime...

Music Memories:

#1 on this date: 1959] "The Battle of New Orleans" - Johnny Horton...1970] "Everything is Beautiful" - Ray Stevens...1980] "Funkytown" - Lipps, Inc. Did you ever see the video? Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUm6TCbEK0g ...

Timeline Countdown: 2 days until Memorial Day and 14 days until the Belmont Stakes...

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Sunday, May 27, 2007...

10 Timeline Memories...

1647] Witchy Woman: Alse Young becomes the 1st person executed as a witch in America when she is hanged in Hartford (CT). What? You can't be a witch???

1668] Pre-religious freedom: Three colonists are expelled from Massachusetts for being Baptists (lighten up people)...

1932] Debuted on this date: Massachusetts Governor Joseph Ely signs a bill making Sunday baseball possible at Fenway Park...1933] The Walt Disney Company releases the cartoon "The Three Little Pigs", with its hit song: "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf"...1937] The Golden Gate Bridge connecting San Francisco and Marin County opens to 'pedestrians only'. On the 28th, it opens to traffic...

1941] Sink the Bismarck: The British naval and air forces do. 2,300 are killed on the German battleship...

1960] If the glove don't fit you must acquit: The Baltimore Orioles debut a giant size catcher's mitt, the size of Rhode Island, to help Clint Courtney catch Hoyt Wilhelm's knuckleball...

1968] Papa Bear hangs up his paws: George Halas retires after 48 years as coach of the Chicago Bears...

1995] Tragedy in the saddle: Christopher Reeve is paralyzed when thrown from his horse during a jumping competition in Charlottesville (VA)...

1997] The Supes rule: The Supreme Court rules that Paula Jones can pursue her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Bill Clinton while he is in office...

1998] Guilty as charged: The government's star witness in the Oklahoma City bombing case, Michael Fortier is sentenced to 12 years in prison for not apologizing for not warning anyone about the deadly plot...

Today my daughter Lynn renews her vows with husband Lindsay at a big party. Married on Oct. 21, 2006 in Wellington, NZ, this is the U.S. version of the wedding for family and friends. Congratulations Lynn and Lindsay...

Timeline Countdown: 1 day until Memorial Day and 13 days until the Belmont Stakes...

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Monday, May 28, 2007 (Memorial Day)...

10 Timeline Memories...

1934] A women's basketball team: The Dionne quintuplets (Annette, Cecile, Emilie, Marie and Yvonne) are born to Elzire Dionne at their farm in Ontario, Canada. If Celine Dion were born at the same time she would've been Celine Dion Dionne...

1951] Say homer: Willie Mays hits his 1st home run against future Baseball Hall of Famer Warren Spahn. They will become teammates in the 70s with the Mets...1956] Say 8 homers: The Pirates Dale Long becomes the 1st player to hit home runs in 8 consecutive games. In 1987 the Yankees' DonMattingly and in 1993, Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. will tie the record...

1957] The curtain comes down: The National League approves the move of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants to Los Angeles and San Francisco. The Mets will come along in 1962 when the National League returns to New York...

1977] A showbiz tragedy: John Davidson escapes a fire at a supper club in Kentucky that takes the lives of 164. Another 130 are injured...

1985] Debuted on this date: Vanity Fair debuts with President RonaldRegan and First Lady Nancy on the cover...

1987] Do we have a gulag for you: 19-year old West German pilot MathiasRust lands his plane in Moscow's Red Square after evading Soviet air defenses. Rust is lucky, he's released in August, 1988...

1989] Indy winner: Emerson Fittipaldi (my favorite racing driver's name) and Al Unser Jr. play bumper cars in the Indy 500 with Unser helping Fittipaldi cross the finish line 1st. Understand this is not what Unser intended to do...

1996] Taking a bullet for Bubba: President Clinton's former business partners in the Whitewater land deal, James and Susan McDougal refuse to say the Clinton's had anything to do with the case and end up in jail. Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker is also convicted of fraud...

1998] Heartbreak in Hollywood: Comic actor Phil Hartman, 49, of 'Saturday Night Live' and 'Newsradio' is shot to death at his home in Calfornia by his wife Brynn who then takes her own life...

2005] Rivalry record: The Boston Red Sox score 2 touchdowns and a field goal and beat the Yankees 17-1 in the most lopsided score in their rivalry's history...

Music Memories:

Billboard's Most Popular Song on this date: 1955] "The Ballad of DaveyCrockett" - Fess Parker...Here's the song being played on the same type of jukebox used in 'Back To The Future (part 1)': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01rNP89pSyk ...

Debuted on this date: 1957] The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) is established. NARAS puts on the Grammy Awards every year...1977] "Barracuda" - Heart (which every Classic Rock jock ever on the air has at least one time intro'd as 'Baccaruda") and here's the great video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-6o1BRezuw ...

Breaking up is hard to do: 1976] The Allman Brothers Band breaks up after Gregg Allman testifies against his personal road manager in a drug case. The band re-forms in 1978...

Commentary...

WABC Rewound is on the air, today, Memorial Day from 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. 770 AM abandons their Talk format during those hours to return to the station's Top 40 glory days...All weekend long The Grand Ole Opry has been honoring the U.S. military with a salute that will continue through Labor Day Weekend. Artists performing this weekend include Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers,JoeDiffie, Mark Chesnutt, Hal Ketchum, the Del McCoury Band and PorterWagoner...

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Is there an ill-wind blowing in the Sirius-XM merger???There isn't any empirical evidence to indicate that the proposed merger between the 2 satellite companies won't happen but I just sense that opposition to the deal is growing. Just yesterday, U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, chairman of the Senate antitrust subcommittee sent letters to the Justice Department and the FCC. Kohl's letter was not about the prospects of his Green Bay Packers for this season or how they can beat the pants off of the Redskins...In his letter Kohl urged regulators to block the proposed deal saying the merger will hurt consumers. Kohl wrote that the merger "would cause substantial harm to competition and consumers, would be contrary to antitrust law and not in the public interest, and therefore should be blocked by your agencies." There was more but that was the gist of the letter...There's something else happening that doesn't have anything to do with the subcommittee and it's this: satellite radio is showing a slow growth rate - it's penetration is only 5% of the market now while Internet radio use continues to rise and there's more: 15% of households have more than one MP3 player and combined, there are more than 90 million units of iPods and MP3 players in use. A further breakdown (using Bridge Ratings) shows that 93.5% of Americans listen to terrestrial or what I like to call - free radio for at least 5 minutes or more, MP3's reach 30% of the population and satellite radio with its 5% leads only HD radio which reaches 450,000 weekly listeners...

Think what you will about research and its numbers but none of this portends a promising future for satellite. I should also make it clear that I have no axe to grind and believe that if people want to pay for radio usage they should whether it's one company or two. It's their right to do so. I am neither for nor opposed to the merger but whether there's one or two satellite companies, there sure are lots of other options aren't there???

10 Timeline Memories...

1844] Debuted on this date: Samuel Morse transmits the message: "Whathath God wrought?" from Washington to Baltimore as he opens America's 1st telegraph line. His assistant, Alfred Vail who receives the message says: "Huh?"...1878] The 1st American bike race in Beacon Park, Boston is won by Harvard student C.A. Parker...1883] The Brooklyn Bridge opens to the public...1985] "View To A Kill", a James Bond movie premieres...1989] "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" premieres...

1935] Let there be light: Cincinnati and Philadelphia play the 1st major league night game with the Reds on top 2-1. FDR pushes a button in Washington to turn the lights on...

1958] Wedding Bells: UPI is formed by a merger of United Press and the International News Service...

1974] The curtain comes down: The last "Dean Martin Show" airs on NBC-TV after a run of 9 years...1993] The final episode of "Designing Women" starring Delta Burke and Dixie Carter is aired. The show ran for 7 years...1999] The final episode of "Mad About You" starring Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt is run after 7 seasons...

1994] Guilty as charged: Four men are convicted of bombing the World Trade Center in 1993. Each receives a sentence of 240 years in prison and a free ticket to burn in hell...

2000] Slaughter House: Five are killed, two wounded when 2 gunmen enter a Wendy's in Flushing. The gunmen tie up the victims in the basement and shoot them. This was one of the most heinous crimes in New York City history...

Music Memories:

1969] Lip syncing on 'American Bandstand': The Guess Who do "TheseEyes" and "Laughing"...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...

Commentary...

I've added a new link which I think you'll enjoy: John Gorman's Media Blog, which you'll find in the right hand column. John is a very savvy programmer, consultant and talent coach who made his mark at WMMS in Cleveland were he was program director/operations mgr. of The Buzzard for many years. Today John offers his commentary on Google and radio's relationship or lack thereof...

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

The Good...The Bad...The Ugly of the Week...The GoodThere are two feel-good stories in sports this week beginning with David Wright's contribution to Marooneffect.org which held "a night of philanthropy and hope" at Webster Hall in Manhattan last Friday night. This is the organization that was set up to help the Virginia Tech victims and families of that horrific shooting at the school on April 16, 2007. All of the proceeds went to the organization. The Mets slugging third baseman whose brother goes to Va Tech promoted the event and made a major contribution through his David WrightFoundation...In any other week David would be the winner of our 'Good' award of the week but the winners are longtime Houston Texan Jason Simmons and Ahman Green, recently acquired running back of the Texans who agreed to teammate Simmons terms in order to swap uniform #30 which Simmons wore but Green desperately wanted. The terms agreed to and met were paying the down payment on a new house for a single parent in Houston. For that, both #30 Green and #22 Simmons win the 'Good' Award of the Week...The BadFirst there was Jets cornerback Justin Miller, charged with a third-degree assault after giving some woman a facial in a New York nightclub. Then there was Cincinnati linebacker A.J. (another jerk?) Nicholson who was arrested on a domestic violence charge over the weekend. Nicholson pleaded not guilty to the charge but that didn't help his standing with the 'Jailhouse 11' a.k.a. the Cincinnati Bengals. They waived him yesterday. A.J. has piled up quite the crime track record. Finally, the Mexican Soccer Foundation disqualified Cruz Azul from their national league championship semifinals because his club allowed Salvador Carmona to play after he was handed a lifetime suspension for doping. Cruz Azul, take a bow. You're the 'Bad' Award Winner of the Week...The UglyA very ugly incident over the weekend was former Villanova basketball star Howard Porter, who was found severely beaten in a Minneapolis alley and remains hospitalized. The 58-year old Porter is now a probation officer for Ramsey County (MN), but it's not clear whether the beating had any connection to his job. We'll provide updates once they come in...A developing story that keeps getting "juicier" with each passing day is the saga of Jason Giambi. According to this morning's New York Daily News, Giambi, already in hot water for admitting to steroid use, apparently failed a major league baseball-administered amphetamines test within the last year. If this charge is true, he is sure to be questioned about it when he meets with commissioner Bud Selig's office, possibly as soon as tomorrow. Jason Giambi is our 'Ugly' Award Winner ofthe Week...TGTBTU UpdateProsecutors say more testing is needed to determine whether suspected Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry has failed a drug screening in Kentucky, where he is on probation for letting minors drink in his hotel room...Last year's Tour deFrance champion Floyd Landis testified at his arbitration hearing over the weekend and denied cheating although he tested positive during the Tour...A California congressman (Tom Lantos) sent NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a letter urging the commish to "act swiftly and forcefully" if Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was involved in dog fighting on his former property...All of these are on-going stores which I will follow for you...10 Timeline Memories...

1827] Miss Francis is waiting in the wings: The 1st nursery school in the U.S. is established in New York City...

1895] Shhhhhhhhhh: The New York Public Library is created with an agreement combining the city's existing Astor and Lenox libraries...1911] The library on 5th Avenue is dedicated by President Taft...

1934] They're young...they're in love...and they kill people: That was the 'sell' line for the movie. In real life, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are shot and killed in an ambush set up by former Texas Ranger Frank Hamer...

2002] "Happy Trails": Legendary golfer Sam Snead dies from complications of a stroke, 4 days short of his 90th birthday...

2002] A day to remember: The Dodgers' (now Mets') Shawn Green had a career day against Milwaukee: 4 home runs, 6 hits in 6 at-bats, scores 6 runs and sets a major league record with 19 total bases and oh yes - he had 7 RBIs...

1961] On American Bandstand: Little Caesar & the Romans lip-sync to "Those Oldies But Goodies"...2002] Celebrate good times, c'mon: American Bandstand celebrates its 50th anniversary...

1960] Recorded on this date: "Cathy's Clown" - Everly Brothers...

1966] Released on this date: "Paperback Writer/Rain"...Although you've seen the 'A' side a million times, did you ever see the video for "Rain"? Well now you can say you did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge-Xl8MTLoo ...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...

Commentary...

Congratulations to the following Boston personalities, recently inducted into the Boston/Massachusetts Radio/TV Hall of Fame, housed at Massasoit Community College in Brockton: Bob & Ray, Jess Cain, Tom Bergeron, Rex Trailer, FrankAvruch, Paul Benzaquin, Fred B. Cole, Harold Segal (representing management/sales), Don Kent, Joyce Kulhawik, Liz Walker and Bob Wilson. Several of those inductees were installed and introduced at last week's Len Zola Media Gang Luncheon...Here's a nice e-mail from a WRKO alum who hasn't been heard from in quite awhile, Shelly Babcock-Klein, who replaced Harvey Mednick as Promotion Director when Harv went to KHJ and then corporate: "I was so sorryto hear about Johnny (Williams) (a.k.a. Bill Todd) passing away. He was such a sweet guy and he always let me dress him up in whatever crazy costume I wanted for those promo pieces we did all the time." (some of which were used for "The Now 30" and later "The Big 30")...

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

WRKO jerks McGuirk...WRKO came to their senses in dumping former Imus producer Bernard McGuirk before he was scheduled to "guest host" with Tom Finneran, who's about as popular as the Yankees in Boston. McGuirk was scheduled to co-host the morning show Wednesday through Friday. "Julie Kahn (VP/Marketing Mgr. for the station) and Jason Wolfe (Program Director) have decided not to go ahead with the guesthosting of Bernie this week". George Regan of Regan Communications, which represents station owner Entercom also added: "Maybe in the future. But not atthis time." The future meaning sometime between never and, well - never...No doubt there was pressure exerted on station management from the community not to bring in McGuirk, who was described as 'racist' by several black community leaders in Boston. McGuirk was the instigator in Imus' "nappy-headed hos" bombshell, which cost the I-man his job...WRKO acted out of desperation in the hiring of McGuirk. Tom Finneran has dumped about one-third of its morning drive numbers in the key 25-54 demographic, compared to the same time last year. They would have grabbed a better audience than they have now for the 3 days of Bernie McGuirk but at what price???10 Timeline Memories...

1892] Dental floss is next:Dr. Sheffield, a British dentist, invents the toothpaste tube. How in the world do they get the toothpaste into the tube?...

1900] Who needs money?: The Associated Press is incorporated as a non-profit news cooperative in New York (you know they'll find a way to make a few bucks though)...

1954] Bar Mitzvah Boy: Robert Zimmerman is bar mitzvahed in Hibbing (MN) after taking private Hebrew lessons. Robert became a man and changed his name to Bob Dylan. Mazel Robert...

1963] A Bronx rain-maker: Mickey Mantle blasts a home run off the facade atop the rightfield upper deck in Yankee Stadium. Two more feet and Mantle would have been the first and only player to hit a ball out of Yankee Stadium in fair territory...

1977] I am woman, hear me roar: Janet Guthrie becomes the 1st woman to earn a spot in the Indy 500 since its inception in 1911...2003] Annika Sorenstam becomes the 1st woman since 1945 to tee off against the men in the Colonial Golf tournament in Fort Worth (TX) but will miss the cut...

1992] "The show tonight is our farewell show": With that, Johnny Carson hosts his final show with Bette Midler singing to him. There was not a dry eye in the audience or at home. Johnny started hosting the show on October 2, 1962. What a run!!!

2002] "Happy Trails": 2002] The remains of Chandra Levy, the federal intern who disappeared more than a year earlier, are found in a Washington (D.C.) park. California congressman Gary Condit is questioned because of his personal relationship with the intern...

1967] "And Flo, she don't know": Florence Ballard appears with the Supremes for the last time on "The Tonight Show". In July Motown replaces her with Cindy Birdsong...

1961] #1 on this date: "Mother-In-Law" - Ernie K-Doe...1966] "When AMan Loves A Woman" - Percy Sledge (although Michael Bolton tops the charts in 1991 with his version, Percy's is still the best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cK42IByqnE ...1972] "Oh Girl" - Chi-Lites (Paul Young would cover this song years later with a very good version but there's nothing like the original one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haxRG0Bas0Y...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...

Commentary...

For all you fans of what real radio used to sound like, "The Big 89 Rewind" will bring back for one day the following Chicago radio names of the past: Larry Lujack, Fred Winston, Tommy Edwards, Jeff Davis, John Records Landecker, Chris Shebel and a whole host of former WLS alums on WLS 890 on Memorial Day, May 28th from 5 a.m. to Midnight. You don't have to be in Chicago to listen. You can click online at: www.wlsam.com . WLS is one of many legendary stations doing this, including WABC. More details forthcoming...

Gordy Brown on the passing of Gus Saunders: "Gus was part of my broadcasting history as I was his first producer on the WNAC AM Boston Kitchen show back in the 60s. He was a great guy and always easy going and fun loving. I also remember him as one of the Yankee Weathermen and newsman on radio. Gus was also in early black & white TV doing news on channel 7 in Boston when I first came to town in '59." - Gordon Brown...

I will ditto Gordon's remarks about Gus being a great, easy going guy and I'll add this, had the climate been right back then, Gus could have had a national cooking show and been quite successful with it...

Monday, May 21, 2007

Music to run by...The New York Daily News recently challenged their readers to suggest campaign theme songs for both Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani and here are some of their choices:ClintonPro:"I Am Woman" (Helen Reddy), "You've Got A Friend" (Roberta Flack version), "Bring The Boys Home" (Freda Payne), "We're Not Gonna Take It" (Twisted Sister), "Just in Time" (no particular singer)...Con: "The Bitch Is Back" (Elton John), "Fat Bottomed Girls" (Queen)...GiulianiPro: "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet" (Blues Magoos), "I'm Gonna Win" (Foreigner), "My Way" (Frank Sinatra)...Con: "The Howdy Doody Song"...EitherPro: "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) (AC/DC)...Con: "I'm A Loser" (Beatles)...The candidates take campaign theme songs seriously. Bill Clinton won the White House with "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac. George W. Bush switched to BillyRay Cyrus' "We The People" after Tom Petty and John Mellancamp ordered his campaign to stop using their songs. An expert from Baruch College, Doug Muzzio says "the music, in a sense, crystallizes the campaign theme. Countless hours go into testing it with focus groups but the bottom line is who the hell knows how much effect it has on the votes?"...Hillary Clinton takes it seriously and claims more than 60,000 votes have been cast and the top contenders are: U2's "City Of Blinding Lights", KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See" and Smash Mouth's cover of the Monkees' "I'm A Believer". Giuliani doesn't take it seriously and hasn't asked for anybody's help in choosing a theme song. How about getting Sanjaya to record the theme song from "Rudy"? Sanjaya's not busy these days...My thanks to Corky Siemaszko of the New York Daily News for his information...10 Timeline Memories...

1891] It finally ends: Peter Jackson and Jim Corbett fight to a 61-round draw. Both fighters complain about fatigue after the first 50 rounds...1999] After 19 years of futility, Susan Lucci, star of "All MyChildren" finally wins a Daytime Emmy Award for 'Best Actress'. Okay soap fans, I'll wait while you get a box of Kleenex. Ready?: here's a clip of Susan winning her Emmy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJKHiij5Kz4 ...

1927] Lucky Lindy: Charles A. Lindbergh lands his "Spirit of St. Louis" near Paris completing the 1st solo flight across the Atlantic...

1945] Wedding Bells: 46-year old Humphrey Bogart marries Lauren Bacall, less than half his age. They met while co-starring in "To Have AndHave Not" and stay married until Bogey's death in 1957...

1968] Buried at sea: The nuclear powered U.S. submarine Scorpion with 99 men aboard is heard from for the last time. The remains of the sub are later found on the ocean floor 400 miles southwest of the Azores...

1977] Rounding second and headed for third: Seattle Slew wins the Preakness and will become the 1st of 2 consecutive Triple Crown winners (Affirmed wins in 1978 and is the last Triple Crown winner) when he wins the Belmont Stakes in June...

1979] Guilty as charged: Former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White is convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting deaths of mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk. Believe it or not, White uses the "Twinkie" defense, claiming that junk food fueled his rampage...

1981] A matchup made in college baseball heaven: In what's billed as the greatest college pitching duel ever, Yale's Ron Darling and St. John's FrankViola match zeroes through 11 innings. Darling had a no-hitter while striking out 16 after 11 but Yale loses the game 1-0 on a scratch single, 2 steals and an error in the 12th inning. This was the 1st round of the NCAA playoffs...

1990] Bob Newhart closes out his "Newhart" series by waking up with Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) and realizing that his new series about his life as an innkeeper was a dream. It's the final 1st run episode of "Newhart" after 8 seasons...

Music Memories:

1955] Recorded on this date: Chess Records new artist Chuck Berry records his 1st single, "Ida Red". During the session Leonard Chess changes the title to "Maybelline" and here's Chuck doing it live on a TV appearance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGgObQR_a9c ...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...

Commentary...

Congratulations: Christian Wayland, named General Sales Manager of WHDH-TV, channel 7 Boston, an NBC affiliate. If that last name looks familiar to members of the WRKO family, Christian is a nephew of Bill Wayland...Another member of the WRKO family, Frank Kingston Smith a.k.a. Bobby Mitchell attended funeral services for Bill Todd in suburban Phoenix and files this report: "They ran a loop of music and included some airchecks. Damn he was good, (when they let people do personality). Many pictures with and without long hair, mustache, beard, etc. A copy of the 3rd (WRKO) anniversary group photo was framed. Were we ever that young? I was 27 and Bill was 23. Tina (Bill's wife) is a sweet lady." Frank's closing comment: "Only the good die young." Bill was in his early 60's. R.I.P. Johnny Williams (the name Bill used in Boston)..."Happy Trails" to Gus Saunders of Newton (MA) who passed away on May 14th at 85. Gus, a Harvard grad was a Boston TV and radio personality and former Herald restaurant critic who also did a cooking show on WMEX, WNAC AM/TV, WCOP, and WROL. Gus is survived by his wife of 59 years, Mary...

Friday, May 18, 2007

Can the lawyers get Imus back on the air???The New York Post is reporting that the I-man's lawyers will try to take advantage of a clause in Imus' contract stipulating that he must be warned before being fired for making offensive remarks, in order to get him back on the air. A legal source says "CBS is inviolation of its contract with Imus." The legal team, headed by Martin Garbus is taking the view, according to a Post source that "CBS is risking losing $40million or more in a lawsuit or they can bring him back." But don't get the idea that this is a slam-dunk. It's not. This idea is being floated not from a position of strength but rather one of desperation. Meanwhile CBS does not appear to be shaking in their boots...So has shock-talk radio mellowed since I-mus was fired on April 12, 2007? The 30-day suspension of Opie & Anthony plus a multitude of Imus type remarks, many worse than his, would indicate that is not the case. The climate is more incendiary than ever and not about to change, with or without Imus...

Numerous radio networks have contacted Imus according to reports and it's just a matter of time before he resurfaces. In the meantime no law suits have yet been filed. CBS is waiting for Imus to sue first, they will then counter-sue. The fun is just beginning...

10 Timeline Memories...

1631] A Kennedy-free election: John Winthrop is elected 1st governor of Massachusetts...

1897] A baby called Dracula: Count Dracula is born out of the pen of BramStoker...

1917] Do you feel a draft?: Congress passes the Selective Service Act, calling up soldiers for WWI...

1927] Puttin' on The Ritz: The Ritz Hotel opens in Boston (now the Ritz-Carlton)...

1934] We kid you not: Congress approves the 'Lindbergh Act' making kidnapping a capital offense...

1934] What's your name?: The Academy Award is called Oscar for the 1st time in print by Sidney Skolsky...

"Happy Trails": 1963] Running back Ernie Davis of Syracuse, winner of the 1961 Heisman Trophy dies of leukemia at 23...1995] Ballet dancer Alexander Godunov is found dead at 45, a victim of alcoholism and complications of hepatitis...1995] Elzabeth Montgomery, star of 'Bewitched' passes away from colorectal cancer at 62...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...

Commentary...

After doing further research on singer Zola Taylor of The Platters, I can find no further evidence that she was a sister of Cornell Gunter as mentioned in an AP release, so I'm setting the record straight. Apparently she was not. Thanks to Paul Power who doubted it all along. Consider this a correction...

Timeline Countdown: 1 day until the Preakness Stakes, 10 days until Memorial Day...

...

Saturday, May 19, 2007...

Today is Armed Forces Day. Let's remember our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. For those who don't have a member of their family serving, call someone who does just to let them know you're thinking of them and their loved ones and hope they will soon return home safely...

10 Timeline Memories...

1536] Heads, you lose: Anne Boleyn, second wife of England's King HenryVIII is beheaded after being convicted of adultery. Peter Noone left that out of his hit...

1847] Rolling, rolling, rolling: The 1st English style railroad coach rolls out on the Fall River Line (MA)...

1921] The more things change: Congress passes the Emergency Quota Act, which establishes national quotas for immigrants...

1960] The King is dethroned: Alan Freed is arrested along with 7 others on suspicion of commercial bribery. Freed had refused to sign an affidavit in 1959 denying he had accepted payola. Although payola was not yet a crime, Freed was charged with 26 counts of commercial bribery but got off with a fine. However his career was ruined...

1962] Now this is a birthday party: Marilyn Monroe performs a sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday" for President John F. Kennedy, with Jackie by his side, during a fund raiser at Madison Square Garden and here is a great video clip of the whole affair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_4QeDS212c&mode=related&search= ...

Debuted on this date: 1969] 6-year old Jodie Foster makes her show business debut on "Mayberry R.F.D."...1999] "Star Wars Episode I: ThePhantom Menace" premieres setting a new record for opening day sales at 28.5 million...2005] "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" almost doubles the original movie with 50 million on opening day...

1973] Big Red: The great Secretariat, winner of the Kentucky Derby, wins the Preakness by 2 1/2 lengths. In 3 weeks, perhaps the greatest thoroughbred of all-time will run away with the Belmont Stakes...

1992] Veep Speak: Dan Quayle criticizes "Murphy Brown" because the title character had a baby out of wedlock...

1992] Taking a bullet for Joey: Mary Joe Buttafuoco is shot in the head and seriously wounded by her husband's teenage lover, Amy Fisher. Reportedly the love-birds (Joey & Amy) may be getting together...

1994] The curtain comes down: 1994] "Happy Trails" to former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who passes away from cancer at 64...1994] We say goodbye to "L.A. Law" which ends with their final episode after an 8-year run...2006] "Happy Trails" to Freddie Garrity, lead singer of Freddie and the Dreamers who dies at 69 from pulmonary hypertension...

Music Memories:

Recorded on this date: 1960] "Save The Last Dance For Me" - The Drifters and here's Ben E. King with a live version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llVdP-xi_s$4 ...

1899] Leadfoot: Jacob Erman of New York City becomes the 1st driver to be arrested for speeding. He went faster than the 12 MPH speed limit...

1916] An original Rockwell: Norman Rockwell's artwork ("Boy with BabyCarriage") appears on the 1st cover of 'The Saturday Evening Post"...

Up, Up and Away: 1927] Charles Lindbergh takes off from Long Island's Roosevelt Field to cross the Atlantic en route to Paris aboard "The Spirit ofSt. Louis"...1932] Amelia Earhart takes off to fly solo across the Atlantic becoming the 1st woman to achieve the feat...1939] Pan Am begins regular service when a 'Yankee Clipper' takes off from the harbor in Port Washington (LI)...

1961] Mob scene: Federal marshals are sent into Montgomery (AL) when a white mob attacks a busload of 'Freedom Riders'...

The curtain comes down: 1989] "Happy Trails": SNL comedian Gilda Radner dies of cancer at 42. This video clip shows a 'Weekend Update' appearance by Gilda (with Jane Curtin): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxULYcZlEuM&mode=related&search= 1993] "Cheers" closes its doors for the final time with 40% of the population or nearly 150 million watching at home...

1970] Pro-War: Some 100,000 demonstrators in New York's Wall Street district come together in support of the war in Vietnam and Cambodia...

1976] Yazamatazz: Carl Yastrzemski hits 2 home runs (giving him 5 in 2 games, an ML record) in an 8-2 Red Sox win over the Yankees as a melee breaks out resulting in Bill Lee injuring his pitching arm. The fight starts when Lou Piniella barrels into catcher Carlton Fisk. Lee a.k.a. 'The Spaceman' will never fully recover...

1989] Silent treatment: Kentucky Derby winner Sunday Silence wins the Preakness Stakes but will fall short of winning the Triple Crown by losing The Belmont Stakes in June...

About Me

Mel Phillips Now & Then is more Now. The Then always follows the Now. Prior to starting 'Remembers' in 2005 and 'Now & Then' on April 7, 2008 I enjoyed a multi-media career which included being one of the Bill Drake program directors. I was involved in the programming of such legendary stations as WOR-FM, WXLO-FM, WNBC, WRKO AM & FM and KQV. I was also General Manager of Hooper Radio, played disc jockey in markets such as Tampa, Nashville, Norfolk and Atlantic City and enjoyed marketing success in syndicated radio for several companies including ABC, MJI and United Stations. My background also includes the music business where I promoted such diverse CBS acts as The Clash, Gloria Estefan, Loverboy, Judas Priest, George Michael & Julio Iglesias. In Special Programming at WCBS-FM I wrote and produced numerous specials and interviewed some of the biggest recording stars. In addition to this post I'm a regular contributor to Radio Daily News. My wife Diane and I reside on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and I'm very proud of my children, Robert Phillips, Lynn Phillips Brough and granddaughters Allyson and Amy...